College Football News Preview 2020: Top USC Trojans Players
Best USC Trojans Offensive Player
QB Kedon Slovis, Soph.
In the “if you were told last year at this time” category …
Slovis has grown into the star of the franchise after stepping in for JT Daniels and lighting up the USC passing game. Shockingly calm and cool under pressure – the loss to BYU aside – he hit 72% of his passes on the year for over 3,500 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine picks.
How good was he? He bombed away for over 400 yards in four of the last five regular season games with 19 touchdowns over the stretch. He’s not going to run, and he takes a lot of big shots, but considering the receiving corps that’s coming back, look out.
2. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jr.
3. WR Tyler Vaughns, Sr.
4. OT/OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jr.
5. WR Drake London, Soph.
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Best USC Trojans Defensive Player
DT Jay Tufele, Jr.
Go ahead and put any one of a number of Trojan defenders here. Drake Jackson is probably going to be the star of the show as one of the Pac-12’s best pass rushers, and the safeties are going to be phenomenal, but Tufele might just be at another level.
The 6-3, 315-pounder was an All-Pac-12 performer last year with 42 tackles with 4.5 sacks, but it’s more than that as a force of an interior pass rusher who has to be dealt with on every play. He’s not a true anchor – he’s too active and doesn’t necessarily gum on the works like Marlon Tuipulotu on the nose – but that’s not his job. He’s the rare find – an NFL starting defensive tackle who just so happens to still be in college.
2. DE/LB Drake Jackson, Soph.
3. S Isaiah Pola-Mao, Sr.
4. S Talanoa Hufanga, Jr.
5. CB Olaijah Griffin, Sr.